Canon and Toshiba have decided to postpone the launch of SED TVs for the second time, the Japanese companies said at the weekend, raising doubt over the commercial viability of the new flat panel televisions. Some analysts that SHN have spoken to are now having their doubts as to whether SED TV will actually go into production at all.
The two companies, which already delayed the debut of the SED TVs once last year, are now postponing the launch from the final quarter of 2007 to an unspecified later date.
Canon, the world's top makers of digital cameras, copiers and laser printers, cited a prolonged patent lawsuit with Nano-Proprietary Inc. as a reason for the delay.
It is also putting off the launch to develop the technology to cut production costs, a step necessary to compete with liquid crystal display (LCD) and plasma TVs.
Toshiba, which plans to procure SED panels from Canon, is postponing the TV launch as Canon is unable to start supplying the panels on time.
